Pipe plug



Feb. 22 1949. J. JOHNSON 2,452,748

PIPE PLUG Filed April 25, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. JOHNSON Feb. 22, 1949.

PIPE PLUG 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25 1945 I r1 uen tor Patented Feb. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OF FICE lIPE PLUG John Johnson, Grand Forks, N.. Dark. Application April 25, 1945, Serial No. 590,149

(Cl. 13S- 89) 1 claim. i

rIhe present invention relates to a new and useful improvement in plugs for pipes designed primarily for use in closing the pipe while removing, repairing and replacing a valve in the pipe.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an expansible plug adapted for insertion in a pipe in advance of the inlet side of a valve together with means operable from an opposite side of the valve and outwardly thereof for expanding the plug to close the pipe while the valve is being removed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tool of this character of simple and practical construction which is eicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive t manufacture, easy to assemble and install in operative position and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational View showing the plug mounted in position in a pipe.

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view.

Figure 3 is a similar View showing the plug in expanded position.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the screw and sleeve for expanding the plug, and

Figure 5 is a group view in elevation of the packing member for the end of the pipe.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of this invention. The numeral 5 designates a pipe section threadedly connected at the intake side of a Valve housing 6 for a gate valve 1.

It is customary to attach other pipe sections to the outlet side of the valve housing 6, the valve controlling the passage of fluid through said section.

When it is desired to remove the valve 'I for repair or replacement purposes, a relatively short pipe section 8 is threaded in. the outlet side of the valve housing 6 and in the outer end of which a sleeve 9 is inserted and on which is positioned a cap I for threading on the outer end of the pipe section 8 and provided with a packing nut II to seal the outer end of the pipe section 3.

A rod I2 is slidably inserted in the sleeve 9 and has a screw I3 formed at its inner ends, the screw being threaded through a plug I4 secured I,

in the inner end of an expansible rubber plug I5, preferably of hollow construction, the other end of the plug being seated against a shoulder it formed on the inner end of the sleeve The rod I2 projects outwardly of the sleeve 9 and is formed with a wheel or other manipulating handle I'I. The plug I4 and the shoulder I5 space the rubber plug I5 from said rod l2 so that said rubber plug I5 is easily deformable under compression for expansion purpose.

The outer end of the sleeve 9 is formed with a hexagonal or other polygonal form of Wrenchgripping surface I8.

In the operation of the device when it is desired to remove the valve l from the valve housing E, the valve is closed and the pipe section 3 attached to the outlet side of the valve housing with the sleeve 9 inserted in the pipe section 8 and the outer end of the pipe section 8 is sealed by the cap I0 and packing plug I I.

The valve 1 is then moved into its open position bv the valve handle or wheel i9 and the sleeve 9 carrying the expansible plug I5 and the rod I2 is then moved inwardly through the valve housing 6 beyond the intake end of the valve into the position as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

The sleeve 9 is then held stationary by a wrench engaging the flat portion I8 and the screw I3 operated by the wheel I1 to draw the plug Ill in an outward direction to thus expand the plug I5 into the position as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing whereby the pipe 5 is closed and the valve and valve housing 6 may then be moved for repair or replacement purposes.

In order to remove the valve housing c it is necessary to remove the pipe section cap Ill, plug II and wheel I1 from the rod I2 while the plug I5, sleeve 9 and rod I2 remain in the pipe 5.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in the art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein `described and the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A pipe plug comprising a rigid sleeve adapted for insertion in one end of a pipe, a packing member on the pipe receiving the sleeve, an expansible rubber sleeve secured at one end to the inner end of the rigid sleeve, a plug secured in the other end of the expansible sleeve, said plug having a threaded bore, a rod slidably inserted in the rigid sleeve and having threaded ends, one end of the rod `being threaded in the plug, and means attached to the other end of the rod and adapted to manipulate the same for expanding said rubber sleeve, said sleeve being hollow and spaced by said plug and the inner end of said rigid sleeve from said rod so that said sleeve is easily deformable under compression to expand the same.

JOHN JOHNSON.

4 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 607,492 Thomas et al. July 19, 1898 986,297 Kinkade Mar. 7, 1911 1,607,428 Boyd Nov. 16, 1926 1,850,040 Turner Mar. 15, 1932 2,299,365 Valuch Oct. 20, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,691 Great Britain June 8, 1882 

